Saturday, April 30, 2016

A couple of friends and I are planning a trip to Colorado to paint with a wonderful artist, Julee Hutchison. We are very excited about this privilege but I, for one do not fee very confident with Plein Air painting so I painted this weekend with the Alabama Plein Air group to try and get some practice. I love painting outdoors as the colors are so vivid, the air is wonderful and you can hear birds chirping. The downside is that there are bugs that do not even care if you wear bug spray, the sun is very hot if you do not have an umbrella (note to self - BUY one!) and I am sure there were snakes nearby when I was standing near the tall grass. To see more of Julee's work visit http://www.juleehutchison.com/paintings.php

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

I am late getting my hummingbird feeder ready this year and because of that, I have not seen one hummingbird rushing by. Usually they are knocking each other off the feeder and last year there was one who would go sit in the tree nearby and wait for his chance to have the feeder all to himself. That was unusual as they generally are very aggressive toward each other. I hope word gets out that I now have the feeder full with the red, sweet stuff so my little friends will visit. I love them.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

This is the second time I have painted "Evie" - she is such a doll. The first time I painted from her photo I gave the painting to her mother. This painting is 16" x 20" and will be available at Sunshine Village - Gallery/Art/Antiques in Watkinsville, Georgia. I am happy to be represented there and have several pieces ready to be shipped. Stop by if you are in that area as art is always better "in person".

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Several times during the year I donate a painting to a good cause. This painting is going to be auctioned in Northern Virginia for a Young Life event. the organization provides Christian retreats for young people.

Monday, April 11, 2016

I am really not sure what draws me to particular subject. I did not set out today to just "paint a cow" but I saw a photo of this jersey cow by Bonnie Sitter and I liked the way she was walking around in the wildflowers and the way she turned her best side to the camera.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

I have been sick with the flu this week and have missed seeing my grandchildren but one of their toys just called out to me to be painted. This is a little bear with a bluebird on his shoulder that I found at one of the many hospital gift shops I have visited around the country and the bear actually moves and sings the song with the bird chirping along. Maybe it is magical thinking to think that something just wants to be painted, maybe this painting is for someone in particular, I am not sure but I believe in that Spirit and believe these fellows have a little bit of magic inside them.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

The photo reference for this piece came from Paint My Photo and a photographer named Viacheslavi. I love his photo references - he fades and blends his photos so that you do not have to even design your composition but just follow his lead. He has a great eye for making even the most simple arrangement unique and beautiful. I am so glad there are wonderful photographers out there who share their art with us painters.I will say that even though the scene itself emanates simplicity, I did not find the painting very simple to paint. For one thing it is always a challenge for me to paint glass. You don't really paint glass, but what is behind it. I find the challenge is to know when you have said enough without overdoing it. Leave something for the mind to complete in the painting. I also struggled with the background and could not decide what to do with it. I tried painting it the way it appeared in the photo reference but it did not work at all the way I wanted it to. Finally I decided to just wipe off and follow my inner creative sprit and what "felt right" without over thinking.I was reminded of a time I threw out dying flowers from the deck into the yard only to find that the next Spring they had taken root on the hillside by my home and were creeping down the hillside and looked wonderful! When I showed them to my grandson, Weston, he said, "Mimi, sometimes things just happen". Well, in this painting, "things just happened" and I like them.

Saturday, April 2, 2016

I have been focused on flowers this week and I enrolled in a short online workshop with Richard Robinson from The Complete Artist. Enjoyed the video demo but painting roses is very hard for me. I am not sure if I just have an artist block toward them or I have just not spent enough time painting them but I find them hard to paint. They are like little puzzles that have to be carefully followed to get "put together". In addition, I am not a very detailed oriented, realistic painter so it takes a lot of decision making in regard to soft edges and lost edges and how to complete the painting using red without having your entire studio, clothes, hair, lunch, walls everything not end up red. Red just has a life of it's own and once out of the tube be careful.....it crawls around